Wildcats top Mooseheads 7‑5 in penalty‑filled matinee

The Halifax Mooseheads squared off with the Moncton Wildcats on Monday afternoon at the Avenir Centre in a special‑teams battle that featured 51 minutes in penalties.

The Wildcats opened the scoring at 5:41 when Simon Binkley netted his 18th of the season, and Evan Dépatie added another to put Moncton ahead by two. Halifax got on the board at 19:23 of the first while shorthanded. Shawn Carrier carried the puck up the ice from his own end and beat Wildcats goaltender Jacoby Weiner. But Rian Chudzinski scored 24 seconds later to restore Moncton’s two‑goal lead at 3–1.

Tempers boiled over in the second period when Danny Walters and Chudzinski dropped the gloves. Both players were ejected following the fight. The rough play continued when Wildcats defenceman Tommy Bleyl hit Sam Rousseau up high with a cross‑check after the whistle. Bleyl was assessed an ejection, giving Halifax a five‑minute power play.

The Mooseheads capitalized on the major penalty. Owen Philips fired a wrist shot past Weiner at 4:15, and Carrier blasted a one‑timer into the net, both on the power play.

The Wildcats rebuilt their two‑goal cushion as Gabe Smith and Caleb Desnoyers both scored on Owen Bresson. Before the end of the period, Connor MacPherson pulled Halifax back within one, converting a pass from Jasu Mensonen from the left‑wing faceoff circle.

In the third period, Liam Bursaw fired the game‑winning goal past Bresson. The Mooseheads pulled their goalie at 17:36, but Riley Sampson extended Moncton’s lead to three with his second of the season. Oleg Kulebiakin attempted to spark a late Halifax comeback with his 24th of the season on a backhander past Weiner, but time ran out as the Wildcats secured a 7–5 win and became the first team to reach 40 victories this season.

With the loss, Halifax falls to 23‑24‑3‑2 on the season.

Moncton swept the three stars of the game. Adam Fortier-Gendron earned first star with three assists. Smith was named second star with a goal, and Dépatie took third star with a goal and two assists.

The Mooseheads are back in action Thursday, Feb. 19, as they begin their final Quebec road trip of the season against the Gatineau Olympiques at Centre Slush Puppie.

Puck drop is set for 8 p.m. Live coverage is available on 95.7 NewsRadio with Garreth MacDonald.